While in Denver I got to have dinner in a building that was built in 1883. The building that started off as a home has been everything from a flea market to a brothel. It is currently the home to the restaurant called Euclid Hall.
It has a rustic feel inside with reclaimed wood, exposed brick walls, and industrial metal accents.
To start my evening off I ordered one of their fancy cocktails. The Kansas City Kreamsickle sounded prefect. They blended together vodka, aperol honey, lime, cucumber, and basil. I guess because of the name I expected this drink to be sweet. It was not, even with the touch of honey. I could taste the freshness of the cucumber and basil.
We started off with some unique appetizers. The first dish was the Krakenpopper. By the name alone I had no clue what this dish was. Based on the description it was octopus that was braised in Kraken brand rum and wrapped in jalapeno. Hence the name Kraken, for the rum and popper, for the jalapeno.
They took this jalapeno wrapped octopus and dipped it into a sweet potato tempura batter. It was lightly fried until it was crispy. They served a bacon aioli on the side for dipping.
The octopus was extremely tender. The jalapeno did not add any heat at all. The sweetness of the sweet potato batter was actually what I tasted. The bacon aioli added a slight saltiness, but I preferred the octopus without it.
Another starter was the Dark Wing Duck. These were crispy duck wings that were tossed in a black olive and Calabrian chile sauce. The sauce had great flavor. However, the duck was too gamy for me.
The last unique starter was the Bruleed Center Cut Beef Marrow Bone. I have never had bone marrow before. I was not sure what to expect. I had to take a spoon and scoop out the marrow. It had the texture of jelly. I then placed it on a small slice of toast. It spread like butter. When I took a bite, it was super sweet and almost buttery in taste. It was very delicate and delicious.
While I digested the appetizers and waited for our main dishes to come out, it was time for another cocktail. This time I got the Salty Oboe. This concoction was whiskey, orange bitters, lemon ginger shrub, and topped with a fresh lemon. The orange toned down the sharpness of the whiskey. It was a very comfortable drink that was best when sipped.
At last my dinner arrived. I ordered the Duck Poutine. I could not wait to try their version of poutine. They used fresh cut French fries and topped them with duck confit, cheddar cheese curds, and a black pepper duck gravy. The duck was perfect. It had a wonderful savory flavor and was not gamy or oily. The cheese and gravy added a salty taste. I was not able to finish the whole thing because it was a little too salty to me.
This was a unique dining experience. I was able to try a few new things. I like being adventurous when I am eating. You never know what you might like unless you try. If you are in Denver and want to try something different, check out Euclid Hall.
Visit their website at www.euclidhall.com
Enjoy!
T
